Scenes From a Memorial Day Weekend

I spent most of my Memorial Day weekend at my parent's house. Drewsie-Cakes came to town with his girlfriend, Mel. And we all had great fun. Too-many-calories, lounging-on-the-couch, Miss-Janet-if-you're-nasty kinda fun.

 A special thanks to the men and women who serve our country everyday. I am forever grateful for the freedoms so many take for granted.

 

DIY Anthropologie Tribal Necklace

Hey friends.

I have a fun little summer project for us all.

I don't know about you, but I love a big statement necklace. They're a fun way to jazz up an outfit. Lately, I've been inspired by large, over-the-top, funky, tribal necklaces. Ones that are bright and colorful that I can just throw on, and go. Check out the necklaces of the men and women of the Massai tribes.

{via}

See what I mean? Simply beautiful.

So imagine my delight when I found the Navala Necklace the other night at Anthropologie.

{via}

Studying the necklace really got my gears turning. I rushed home and whipped up my own, using a lot of the things I had at home. For $15. Booyah.

 The goods:

*Friendship bracelet string (floss, I think its called?).

* Cording or rope of some kind. I used cording from Jo-Ann's. Mine is about around the same thickness of my pinkie. For three necklaces I got a little over 2 yards.

* Small amount of chain

*Lobster clasps

*Jump rings (they're a plain, metal ring in the jewelry section at the crafts store)

* Nuts and washers the same thickness as my cording. You will need 1 washer and one nut for EACH end of each necklace. 2 ends x 3 necklaces: 6 washers and 6 nuts. Grab a few extras if you want some extra embellishments.

Optional: beads or any extra bling.

Step 1:

Loop the cording around your neck at your desired length and cut. My strips are 22, 24, and 29 inches. Take an awkward picture if you need to get the position right.

Step 2:

Lay your strips out and tightly tape your ends, ensuring they won't unravel.

Step 3:

 Leaving an inch or two out, start wrapping your cording with your first floss color. You want to wrap evenly, but not too tightly. Every few inches scrunch down the wrappings- you don't want any gaps!

Want to change colors?

  Cut your first color and tie the end to your next color, hiding the tail as you wrap.

Step 4: Optional

I added a few extra bells and whistles to mine, but you don't have to. As you wrap, thread a bead, extra nut, or washer and continue to wrap.

Step 5:

Keep wrapping and changing colors, until you reach the end. Have fun with it! Remember to leave a few inches at the end.  Repeat for the other two pieces of cording.

Step 6:

Grab a nut and a washer, and carefully thread them on the ends of your necklaces.

Step 7:

Lay your chain out and decide how long you want it to be. You will be attaching some chain to each end. I cut my chain at 2 inches long. Repeat for all.

Step 8:

With the end pieces of floss, carefully tie it to one end of the chain. Also, trim down the leftover end of the cording,  Repeat for all.

Step 9:

(sorry no pic)

Here you have two options. You can either:

- make 3 separate necklaces

OR

- have 3 necklaces, strung together as one BIG necklace.

I chose the 2nd option, but both are easy. Grab and open 1 jump ring and one of the lobster clasps. The jump ring links the clasp and the chains of the actual necklace. Carefully open the jump ring and thread the ends of the chains. Now add in the little hoop of the clasp, and close the jump ring. Repeat on the other side. If you wanted to make separate necklaces, you will need a jump ring and 2 lobster clasps.

Step 10: Optional

I added a bit of super glue to each of the end nuts/washers and to the string on the chain. You know, just for durability. Let everything dry and trim up any loose ends.

Ta-da!

 You're done!

April Photos

Here's the last roundup of the April Photo-a-Day Challenge.

Whew.

And they said it couldn't be done.
Get ready for picture overload.

Day 19: Orange

Day 20: Something You Drew

This is from a Bible Study that I'm in. After reading a passage in Revelation, they asked us to draw a pic of what we read. Move over, Picasso.

Day 21: Bottle

Grr. I finally broke down and BOUGHT water. Seems so counter-intuitive. Memphis has some of the best water, but I'm trying so hard to cut out soft drinks.

See what I mean? I really like them!

 

Day 22:  The Last Thing You Bought

Oh, hello Urban Outfitters rainbow scarf. I love you.

 

Day 23: Vegetable

Mmm.. so good.

Day 24: Something You Are Grateful For

Hands down, every night I'm grateful for Carmex. It's a little indulgence I've had since the 4th grade. After my makeup comes off, it makes up one half of my nightly arsenal....the other being cold cream.

Yeah, grandma.

Day 25: Looking Down

Ouch.
I've laid low on the running and exercise for awhile because of a wonky pain in my foot.  Here's hoping I won't need a boot.

 

Day 26: Black and White

Aren't the sweet? This was from college, my sophomore year. Check out that hideous halter dress!

Day 27: Somewhere You Went

Oh, Nashville.

My home away from home.

Day 28: 1pm

I somehow made it home from the bank with the ATM cartridge. A nap followed, regaining some clarity of mind.

Day 29: Circle

Sometimes we have musical instruments lying around. This puppy has a permanent home in our garage.

Day 30: Something That Makes You Cry

Enough said.

Back.. and With Birchboxes

Well, that was a bit of a break. An unintended 19 day lull to be exact. But I'm back, and yes, still here. How are all of you? Yes, yes, I know,  we should catch up soon. I've missed you. To make-up for my laziness and lack of creativity ahem, absence, I come, bearing gifts to you all.

Well, really just to me.

Since I'm so behind, you friends are getting not one, but TWO Birchboxes today. I completely forgot about my April box until my May box came in the mail. Whoopsie.

Here's the April box. It's kinda feels like one part organic/green living and one part Hawaiian tropics.

And here's the May box. Immediate glitz when I opened the mailer.

Do you watch Gossip Girls? I don't. I just can't get into any CW shows. From what I gather its rich girls in NY who wear uber expensive outfits trying to date one another? Not sure....

Anywhoo..

These little gifts are fun to get in the mail, BUT I can't use them fast enough. Fun and girly, but unpractical. I almost feel silly wearing the $65 dollar perfume sample that smells like cat pee, just for the sake of not wasting it. What's a girl to do?